Horse and Sword
by shintsurugi07
Summary: Due to a miscast spell, Ranma, Akane and Happosai are thrown into the Meiji Era. There, Happosai continues his lechery and begins to extract his revenge. Can Ranma stop him even with the help of the Kenshin-gumi? CHAPTER 6 UP
1. Into the Past

Horse and Sword

A Ranma ½ and Rurouni Kenshin crossover

Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I don't own Ranma ½ or Rurouni Kenshin. Damn it…

A/N: Okay peoples! This is my own original work that I made up entirely myself! It's a R1/2 and RK X-over 'cuz I don't see many of those out there. Please review!

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Chapter One

Into the Past

Monday. The day for all children and teens to go back into the pits of hel- I mean learning. The day for the "wonders of education" to get drilled into their little minds. Literally.

On this day, a certain pig-tailed martial artist was making his way to school, with his fiancée in tow. With only half a minute left until the bell, they rushed towards Furinkan High, arguing as usual.

"C'mon Akane, we're gonna be late!" yelled Ranma.

"Well, if you hadn't left that Chinese bimbo on you we wouldn't be!" retorted Akane.

"What was I supposed ta do?" asked Ranma. "Push her into the canal?"

"Exactly!"

BRRIINNG! The bell rung just as the two made it on to the school grounds. However, just as they were about to enter the building, a certain kendoist appeared.

"Ah, the beauteous Akane Tendo!" spouted Kuno. "Come, leap into my-urk!"

Kuno fell flat with a footprint planted squarely in his jaw, courtesy of Akane. After kicking him, Akane strode angrily into the school, leaving Ranma behind with the stunned swordsman.

"Y'know Kuno," said Ranma to the dazed kendoist. "Ya could change your lines or somethin'. It's gettin' boring listenin' to you saying the same thing over and over every single day."

And so, a normal (or what passed for normal in Nerima) school day went on in Furinkan high. The last period for Ranma was history, usually one of the most boring classes ever for him. But today, they were studying the Bakumatsu, which caught his attention.

"One of the main people in the Bakumatsu was the Hitokiri Battousai," droned the teacher. "He was a feared assassin, and killed many, many people. His sword skills were amazing and he was said to have the speed of a god. However, after the First Battle of Hoshi, he suddenly disappeared. He reappeared later as Himura Kenshin, a rurouni who helped protect the new age."

_Speed of a god, eh?_ thought Ranma. _Bet he can't compare ta me. I mean, my Amiguriken is probably faster and I bet I can outrun him too. And his sword probably couldn't stand up ta my fists._

"Saotome!" yelled the teacher.

"Wha?" said Ranma as he snapped out of his thinking.

"Did you hear what I just said?"

"Um, no?"

"I said that you are to do a report on the Battousai for this unit, if you do not, your already atrocious grade will plummet even lower!"

"Er, okay…" Ranma looked a little sheepish.

"Good, perhaps you will actually find this interesting, given your apparent interest in martial arts."

"…"

After another half hour of pointless lecturing, the teacher dismissed class. Ranma and Akane were walking home from school when the all-dreaded pervert Happosai jumped out of nowhere.

"SWEETO!"

POW!

With one outstretched fist, Ranma sent the perverted master flying. Into a horde of angry women. With many, many sharp and pointy objects. Not to mention the occasional AK-47…

"Nice," remarked Akane. "That was a good hit, Ranma."

"Yeah," replied Ranma. "He had it coming."

The day continued on as normal, and the evening found Ranma running through some katas in the dojo. Suddenly, an ear-splitting cry of anger and rage sliced through the air.

"RRAAANNNMMAAAA!"

"Uh-oh…" said Ranma.

Happosai reappeared in the dojo doorway as a broken wreck. Some of his limbs were bent a sickening way, his eyes were blood-red and his clothes were on fire.

"Wow," said an amazed Ranma. "Those women sure did a number on ya, you old freak."

"You shall pay for this Ranma!" screamed Happosai. "I will send you to the pits of hell!"

"Are you sure you weren't there first?" snickered Ranma.

Happosai let out an inhuman roar and pulled out an old scroll form his tunic. Laughing manically, he vanished into thin air. Ranma felt a few taps along his neck but could not do anything as he soon fell, immobilized, on the floor.

"What the hell?" cried Ranma as he was paralyzed.

"You shall suffer for what you did to me Ranma!" roared Happousai, while still laughing. "I shall send you to the time of demons, where you shall be pulverized into NOTHING! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!"

With Ranma disabled, Happosai quickly prepared his ritual without hassle. However, unbeknownst to him, Akane had just arrived and seeing Ranma lying face-down on the floor, she rushed to help, with her trusty mallet that is. However, Happosai had nearly finished the spell and as Akane struck him, a portal opened up and sucked all three of them in.

Meiji Era, Japan

Another beautiful day in Japan. With nothing to do, a red-haired swordsman flopped down on the front porch of the Dojo to rest. Sighing, he enjoyed the view of the pretty flowers and birds in the trees above him. In this idle state, Himura Kenshin's thoughts drifted to the past events of the past days. Shishio had been brutal and difficult to beat without having to resort to breaking his vow. Sighing, he hoped that this was the last hurdle he would have to jump until reaching a peaceful life.

However, the rurouni's thoughts were soon lost as he heard a splash and then a scream nearby…

One moment, Ranma was laying face-down, disabled and hoping that someone would come. The next, he found himself over a pool of water. With a splash, the pig-tailed martial artist fell into the water and changed gender. The shock of cold water restarted her body and she found that she could move. Getting up, she found that she was the only one around. Until Akane fell from above, screaming, into her arms. Then Happosai bounced off the both of them and into the surrounding forest.

"Ooookay," said Ranma, still holding on to Akane. "That was weird."

"Yeah," replied Akane. "And mind putting me down, PERVERT!" She emphasized that last point with a blow from her trusty mallet.

"I try ta save you and this is the thanks I get?!" retaliated Ranma, leaping up from the water.

"You were just trying to cop a cheap feel!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am n-" Ranma's latest comment was cut short by Kenshin coming into view.

"Are you two okay?" asked Kenshin.

"Relatively speaking," replied Akane. "Yes."

"Who are you?" asked Ranma, suspicious.

"Himura Kenshin."

Ranma's eyes widened as he heard this statement. She motioned at Akane.

"Get behind me!" Ranma said, her voice filled with urgency.

"Oro?" said Kenshin, confused.

"You wanna fight, buster?" growled Ranma, as she went into a loose fighting stance.

"This one has no desire to-"

"Yeah right! I heard about what you did in the Bakumatsu. You're trying to kill us, aren't you?"

"I said, this one has no desire to fight!"

"Why should I believe-"

"Ranma…" cut in Akane.

"What?" replied the redhead.

"I don't think he's lying, look at his eyes."

Ranma looked, and saw nothing in the violet eyes of Kenshin except confusion. Inwardly cursing herself for jumping to conclusions again, she adopted an embarrassed look.

"Aheh, I'm Ranma Saotome… Sorry about this…"


	2. Stories and Explanations

Changing the Past

A Ranma ½ and Rurouni Kenshin crossover

Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I don't own Ranma ½ or Rurouni Kenshin. Damn it…

Chapter 2

Stories and Explanations

"So let me get this straight," said Kaoru. "You were transported from the future into the Meiji Era by a little shriveled up pervert who's only 3 feet tall?"

"Um, yeah," replied Ranma, who was still female. "That's basically it."

"Psst," whispered Akane to Ranma. "Are you going to tell them about the curse?"

"I dunno," replied Ranma. "I'm not sure how they'd take it."

"They" was the whole Kenshin-gumi, sitting in the dojo's tea room. Everyone had different expressions in reply to Ranma and Akane's story. Sanosuke was wearing a suspicious look, while Yahiko sported an amazed one. Megumi only raised an eyebrow compared to Kaoru's dumbfounded look. As for Kenshin, all he said was: "Oro…"

"How do we know that you're not just another bunch of people tryin' to kill Kenshin?" asked Sano, still suspicious.

Ranma turned on her cute act to the extreme. "Would a face like this kill?"

"Uh, um…" Sano was taken aback.

This was too much for Ranma. She collapsed in laughter, rolling back and forth across the floor and holding her sides.

"Hahahahaha!" laughed Ranma. "You shoulda seen your face! Hahahaha! Priceless!!!"

After a few moments, Ranma calmed down and was sitting back at the table. Sano was looking a little bit sheepish after the redhead had gotten him so good. However, the rest of the Kenshin-gumi were smiling and Yahiko was stuffing his fist in his mouth in an effort to not laugh.

"So," began Kenshin, the first one to settle down. "How do you plan on getting back? Rare, magical artifacts aren't exactly common here in Japan."

"Well my first intention isn't about gettin' back," replied Ranma, anger in her voice. "It's about poundin' the old fart's face in fer makin' me go through all this."

Akane gave full support for that idea. "Yeah, that old pervert has had it coming for a long time!"

"What do you mean 'a long time'?" asked Kenshin. "Has this Happosai bothered you in the past?"

Ranma sighed and put on a frown. "Well, I guess I'd better tell ya about the chaos that is Nerima, but first…" Ranma splashed herself with her lukewarm tea, triggering the change back into a male.

Shocked expressions rippled through the group as they witnessed true magic before their own eyes. Kaoru was the first one to speak up.

"Wh-what was that?"

Ranma fixed her with a sorrowful look. "That, is my curse. Whenever I get splashed with cold water, I turn into a girl, to change back, I need warm water. It's a curse I picked up in China."

"Wow…"

"Lemme tell ya," said Ranma in response to their amazed looks. "It ain't exactly been the best thing that's happened ta me. Just listen to all the trouble it's given me…"

And so, the tale-telling commenced, Ranma and Akane related story after story of the chaos of their lives. The stories lasted them into the late afternoon, when Kaoru said she needed to get cooking. Almost all of the Kenshin-gumi cringed at that statement, while Ranma and Akane just looked a little bit confused.

Dinner was another thing, however, as the horror that was Kaoru's cooking was set on the table. However, as the rest of the people politely refused the meal, Ranma was busy doing the human vacuum impression, eating almost everything on the table before burping and settling down in his seat. Everyone, including Kaoru, gave him an astounded look.

"What?" asked Ranma. "I always eat this much."

"That's not it," said a stunned Sano. "I wanna know how you managed to stomach all of that awful stuff…" Kaoru gave him a whack on the head for that.

"HAH!" Ranma gave a short laugh. "You call that gross? You don't even know disgusting until you've tasted this tomboy's cooking!"

"RANMA NO BAKA!!!!!" Akane smashed Ranma into the ground with her mallet.

"It's only true!" retorted Ranma. "You couldn't cook if your life depended on it. And even then, you would still poison everyone around you to death!"

"You insensitive jerk!"

"Kawaiikune tomboy!"

"Hentai!"

And so, the Kenshin-gumi was treated to a Ranma/Akane argument for their dinner entertainment. After which, they had to lug an unconscious Ranma into a room while trying to restrain Akane from killing said Ranma. Such is the life of anime characters…


	3. Happosai Appears Kinda

Changing the Past

A Ranma ½ and Rurouni Kenshin crossover

Disclaimer: If I owned Ranma 1/2, the anime would have every single manga thingy animated! And, it would start creating new thingys! If I owned Rurouni Kenshin, I'd get a sakabato...

* * *

Chapter 3

Happosai Appears (Kinda)

The next morning, things had calmed down considerably. Akane was still smoldering a little bit, but everything seemed to have calmed down. Until a knock sounded from the dojo's front door.

"I wonder who that could be…" said Kaoru. "I'll get it!"

Kaoru opened the door to find a uniformed police officer. He nodded to Kaoru and strolled in and set his gaze on Kenshin.

"You are Himura Kenshin?" the police officer asked.

"That is me," replied Kenshin, curious to hear what he had to say.

"Wait a sec," Sano moved in front of Kenshin. "Whaddya gotta say to Kenshin? Is he under arrest 'cause of one of your stupid laws again?"

"No, not at all," replied the police officer, waving his hands in front of his face. "We require his help on tracking down a certain thief."

Ranma butted in. "Would this thief be stealing women's stuff?"

The police officer looked surprised. "Uh, yes. That would be what the thief seems to be after."

Ranma cracked his knuckles and grinned evilly. "Then I got a bone to pick with the old fart."

"You know this thief?" questioned the police officer.

"Hell yeah," replied Ranma. "He's THE most perverted thing on this planet."

"For once you're right Ranma," Akane remarked. "Happosai is the biggest pervert alive."

"So," said the police officer. "If you have met up with this criminal before, will you help us in capturing him?"

"Nah," answered Ranma.

"What?!" yelled Akane, astonished. "I thought you wanted to get rid of him!"

"No prison can hold that old geezer," replied Ranma. "So I'm gonna put him away for GOOD!" He slammed his fists together at the last word.

"What makes you so sure you can do that now, baka?"

"Uh…"

Kenshin stepped forward. "This one would like to offer his services in helping you defeat the one called Happosai. Anyone who attacks the weak and harasses women should not be allowed to roam freely."

Sano also stepped forward. "Sounds like fun ta pound a perv, I've done it a couple of times and I sure like the feeling."

Yahiko tried to step forward, but was pulled back by Kaoru. "Oh no you don't Yahiko. According to what Ranma says, this Happosai could beat you with his eyes closed and all four limbs tied to a mountain."

"But I wanna help!!!!"

"You can stay here then."

"But-"

"No buts mister!" With that Kaoru dragged Yahiko into the dojo.

And so, the team was assembled. Kenshin and Ranma agreed to go around together and try and find Happosai's hiding spot. Sano and Akane decided to look for clues leading to Happosai.

Kenshin and Ranma took to the rooftops, both hopping at unbelievable speeds, each looking carefully for any sign of Happosai. While doing this, they made conversation as if they were just sitting down in a tea shop.

"So," said Ranma. "Why do you carry around a sword all the time? Aren't those outlawed or something?"

Kenshin smiled. "This sword cannot kill. It is a sakabato which helps me protect the weak while stilll keeping the vow I made years ago..."

"If you don't wanna kill," said Ranma with an egotistical smirk. "Use your fists. I'm the best there is at hand to hand combat."

"However," replied Kenshin with a matching smirk. "If your opponent is skilled with the sword, you may be facing a difficult match."

"Ha!" laughed Ranma. "They still don't stand a chance against me! I can beat anyone!"

"Well then," answered Kenshin. "Let's see how you do against a sword gang that I found earlier."

"You're on Kenshin!" replied Ranma.

Sano and Akane were going from home to home, asking if they had anything stolen from them by Happosai. Many of them did, but few were fast enough to see which direction the thief went after looting them. One of the few was an old man who had been lucky enough to be right next to the window where Happosai had made his escape after looting his daughter's dresser.

"Which way did the thief escape to?" questioned Akane.

"I believe he went in the direction of the Akebeko when he escaped, however, these old eyes are fading, I can't be quite sure."

"Well," said Sano, letting out a sigh. "After thirty houses, it's the only lead we got. Thanks old man."

The gang that Kenshin had found was an elite group of Yakuza that had been harassing some of the nearby townspeople for weeks. Kenshin was going to wait for the police to deal with them, but he would like to see Ranma use his skills for real.

The Yakuza gang had their hideout in a secluded area of the forest. However, Ranma and Kenshin found it easily, hopping through the treetops. Once they were in sight, Ranma and Kenshin slowed down and stopped in the thick branches of a tall pine.

They watched as the gang lounged around in their secret hideout, joking and showing off their skills. Kenshin motioned for Ranma to make his move, and the pig-tailed martial artist complied happily. He jumped straight down more than fifty feet and landed softly in a kneeling pose.

"So," Ranma said, addressing all the Yakuza members. "You people must be the Yakuza group that's been attackin' the village nearby. You guys don't look so tough."

"Hah!" barked one of the Yakuza. "And this is comin' from some little twerp?"

"Twerp, eh?" replied Ranma with a smirk. "Then why don'tcha try me out?"

The Yakuza guy picked up a nearby sword and charged at Ranma, intent on finishing him off early. Ranma dodged the clumsy charge and elbowed the man in the stomach. He then launched an uppercut to his chin and kicked him into a tree. The man fell down, severely pummeled.

The other Yakuza members stared in shock as one of their group was just beaten by a teenager. The shock just lasted for a minute, for then they all took up their weapons and charged Ranma. Ranma just stood there calmly until a split second before he was overwhelmed. He then just seemed to disappear. The gang members looked confused for a second until Ranma jumped on top of one of their heads.

Ranma started walking on top of all their heads until he got to the edge of the crowd. Then he started fighting his way to the center. Bodies were thrown every which way as Ranma fought his way through the crowd like mad. However, Ranma was actually having a good time.

_These guys are pretty easy. There are a lot of them, though. That's what makes it so freakin' fun._ thought Ranma as he dealt a crippling combo to three Yakuza members.

Within five minutes, all of the Yakuza members were laying on the ground, moaning in pain and about the devil incarnate. However, just as Ranma was finishing dusting his hands, a door opened in a nearby shack.

"Impressive," said a voice form inside the shack. "You defeated them all with ease. You could rise to great heights in the Yakuza."

"Sorry," replied Ranma, eyes fixed on the shack. "I don't ally with people who harm the weak."

"Have it your way then. Prepare to die!"

Ranma groaned. "You have NO idea how many times I've heard that."

Suddenly, the shack exploded in a blizzard of wooden splinters as a figure leaped out from it. The smoke cleared to reveal a dark-haired man standing at about six feet with a heavily muscularbody. He had a huge sword rivaling the size of Sano's zanbato. He smirked at his opponent and, without warning, charged.


	4. Tricks

Changing the Past

A Ranma ½ and Rurouni Kenshin crossover

Disclaimer: I wish I did, but I don't own Ranma ½ or Rurouni Kenshin. Damn it…

Chapter 4

Tricks

Ranma dodged the initial assault and tried to hit the man with a karate chop to the neck. However, the man ducked and struck upward with his sword. Ranma caught the sword bare-handed and twisted it out of the man's grasp. But then, the man kicked Ranma, sending him flying into a tree.

"You will have to do better than that, kid," said the man, sneering down at Ranma.

"I have better!" Ranma leaped up into the trees after that statement and started tearing off tree branches and launching them at the man. The man was retrieving his sword when this happened, so he was hit with a few branches before he started blocking with his sword.

After throwing twenty or thirty branches, Ranma jumped down from the tree with a cry of "Saotome Shooting Star KICK!" The man just barely dodged the ki-powered kick and countered with a sword thrust. Ranma bounced off the sword and stuck his tongue out at his opponent. The man was infuriated by this and launched a barrage of attacks at Ranma, his mind in a red mist of rage.

Ranma dodged every thrust and started leading the man into a spiral. Kenshin, who was watching from above, noticed this and wondered what the teenager martial artist was up to. At the center of the spiral Ranma grinned and launched his most devastating attack.

"HIRYU SHOTEN HA!"

The resulting tornado launched the man into air with tremendous force and hurled him out of the area. The deafening roar of the winds lasted a few minutes before dying down. Ranma smirked as Kenshin jumped down and looked at Ranma with ill-concealed amazement. After a moment, the man plummeted down on to the ground. Hard. After picking up the bruised and broken man, Kenshin turned to Ranma.

"Ki, ne?" asked Kenshin.

"Yeah," replied Ranma. "Can you do anything like it?"

"Not really," answered Kenshin. "I have some ki control, but not the amount needed to pull off that."

Ranma and Kenshin began tying the man to a tree. "What can you do then?"

"Well, it's not much…"

"C'mon! Just show me!"

"Hai, hai…"

Kenshin unsheathed his sword and raised it above his head. With a cry of "Do-ryu-sen!", he swung it down into the ground, launching his ki into the earth, creating a sizable fissure. Kenshin then replaced his sword into its sheath and turned to Ranma, who had an amused expression.

"Not bad," said Ranma. "So, you use the sword to project your ki into the ground, ne?"

"You sure know a lot about ki, Ranma-dono," replied Kenshin with a smile.

"I got a lot of experience," said Ranma, with a smile matching that of Kenshin's. "And, for the time being, it's just Ranma."

Sano and Akane made their way into the Akebeko with some difficulty, for it was lunch. When they finally found Tae, they quickly told their story and asked if she had seen any short old men in the vicinity.

"Hmm…" Tae thought for a second. "Well, there was one very peculiar customer we had here. He was very short and was carrying a big sack on his back."

"That's him!" exclaimed Akane. "Do you know where he went after eating here?"

"Um…" Tae thought some more. "Well, he did say something about going to Kyoto…"

"KYOTO!" yelled Sano, heedless of all the strange looks that came his way. "Of all the places in Japan, WHY KYOTO!"

"…" Akane was silent after this sudden outburst.

"Uh… Sorry…"

When the day was through, the two groups met up back at the Dojo. Sano and Akane told everyone else of what they had found. Kenshin's eyes narrowed at Kyoto and Kaoru drew a gasp. Ranma and Akane were still in the dark however.

"Um…" said Ranma, uncertain of what was going on. "What's this about Kyoto?"

"It's a long story…" sighed Kenshin.

"Well," said Ranma. "I guess we got time…"

Kenshin and co. related the tale in vivid detail. Ranma and Akane listened in sympathy as they knew what it was like to face such horrors. When the story was finished, everyone was silent for a while until Ranma spoke up.

"Well," he began. "I say let bygones be bygones, so we should just head on to Kyoto."

Kenshin sighed. "That we should."

"Well, then!" said Sano. "What are we waitin' here for? Let's go to Kyoto!"

And so, plans were made to go to Kyoto. They all decided to walk there, considering that ship fares were going up and spring was a really nice time to be outdoors.

"Sure," agreed Ranma. "I don't got any problems with that unless I gotta eat that tomboy's cooking… ACK!" Ranma now had a fist in his stomach, courtesy of Akane.

"Shut up you baka…"

Three days later…

During a period of three days, everyone had made their own preparations for the trip. Kenshin had sent word ahead to the Inn for lodging and alarm of Happosai's appearance. Sano went into hiding to avoid all his debts. Kaoru also sent word ahead to Tae's sister of their coming. Yahiko didn't know what to do, so he just sat around impatiently until preparations were finished. As for Ranma and Akane…

"I told ya, I'm not gonna train you!" yelled Ranma.

"How am I going to help you defeat Happosai then?" retaliated Akane. "You know you and I alone don't stand a chance at him!"

"You're just gonna get in the way!"

"Was I in the way before?"

"Um…"

"HA! So there!"

Ranma sighed. He knew Akane needed more training, but he was afraid he would hurt her if he tried to train her. However, he knew that someday, Akane would have to defend herself against someone better than her current position. With that in mind, Ranma finally gave up.

"Fine, ya want me to train you?"

"Yes!" Akane was on the verge of using the puppy-dog eyes.

"Do you trust me to train you?"

"Uh… Yeah!"

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Fine."

"Yay! Thank you Ranma!" Akane suddenly glomped onto said Ranma.

"Ok then, if you think I'm not doin' too well on instructing you, just holler."

"LIKE THIS!"

"Not what I meant…"


	5. Onward to Kyoto!

Changing the Past

A Ranma ½ and Rurouni Kenshin Crossover

Chapter 5

On to Kyoto!

Disclaimer: Why don't I own Ranma ½ and Rurouni Kenshin? Money…

A/N: Alright people! After some weeks of hard writing and writer's block, I have finally finished this freakin' chapter! And once again, anyone who is actually reading this, PLEASE REVIEW! And any and allflames shall be given to my brother for the Asian art of origami…

"Ok Akane," said Ranma, sounding absolutely serious. "First off, we're gonna need ta work on your balance."

"My balance is perfectly fine!" yelled Akane.

Ranma sighed. "No, it isn't. Look." Ranma suddenly shot out a leg and tripped Akane. "See?"

"Well, why don't you help me then?" Akane glared at him from her position on the floor.

Ranma sighed again. "That's what I'm tryin' ta do here!"

"Then why don't you hurry up and do it!"

"I'll do it at my own pace ya stupid tomboy!"

"Insensitive jerk!"

"Kawaiik-" Ranma stopped in the middle of the insult, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. Akane and he always got into pointless fights like these; it would do no good to get into another one when they were trying to train. Ranma opened his eyes again.

"Listen Akane," began Ranma. "If ya wanna get better, you're gonna hafta be more patient with me, kay? I know I'm not that patient too, but you're gonna just hafta listen to me."

"Alright Ranma," said Akane, calming down. "Let's try again…"

* * *

In the next couple of hours, Ranma had solidified Akane's balance to a nice level (through much tripping). He had also built up her speed(throwing baseballs at said Akane)andfilled in gaps inher defense (by hitting her and pointing out where her weak points were, not that he liked hitting her). After all the workout, Akane slumped down against the dojo wall. Ranma however, was still active.

"Tired?" Ranma looked at Akane with some concern.

"Yeah, a little."

"Well, just sit back and watch me do a couple of katas."

With Akane as his audience, Ranma took up a loose stance and began. Kick, jump, turn, chop, punch, spin, land, sweep, backhand, Ranma was flowing through the motions like a river. As time progressed, the kata became more complex. Side kick, roundhouse, split kick,high jump, punch, punch, punch, kick, kick, turn, block, snap kick, flip, land. Ranma's "ki-AI!"s and "hi-YA!"s were heard throughout the dojo and some of the Kenshin-gumi even came to watch.

Yahiko and Kaoru were standing in sheer obfuscation. Sano was looking on in amazement, while Kenshin was impressed. Akane just sat there and smiled at his fiancée.

However, Ranma didn't notice the additional spectators and just kept on going. Spin kick, punch, slam, elbow, jump and…

"KACHUU TENSHIN AMIGURIKEN!"

Ranma's fist blurred as he punched at impossible speeds. After about three seconds, he landed and then let out a big breath. Only then did he notice four stupefied faces and one happy face looking right at him.

"Nice job Ranma!" Akane was beaming.

"Uh… When did you all get here?" said a confused Ranma.

"Wha-wha-wha…" Yahiko was stunned into silence.

Kaoru was just mouthing out unidentifiable words.

Sano stood there with eyes the size of jumbo sushi rolls (with extra wasabi!).

And Kenshin…

"Oro?"

* * *

Within the next few days, the gang was on the road. Leaving Tokyo, the Kenshin-gumi, Ranma and Akane headed east, staying quite parallel to the shoreline. Ranma and Akane marveled at the beautiful nature that would be destroyed by the expanding Japanese population in the future. Camping out wasn't too difficult, as Ranma had spent ten years on the road. However, Akane…

"Eeep!"

"What is it Akane?" said Ranma sleepily.

"I thought I saw something!"

"Wha?"

"O-over there…" Akane pointed in the direction of Kenshin.

Ranma yawned. "That's just the shadow from Kenshin's hakama…"

"B-b-but…"

"Just go ta sleep…"

The next morning…

Ranma woke up to the peaceful sound of birds chirping. And…

"RANMA!"

Ranma jumped up and ran towards Akane, who was on the ground in a ball pointing at something. Ranma looked in the direction she was pointing and found…

"It's just a stupid bug!"

Ranma held up a long centipede.

"But, but, it's all big and long and creepy!"

"God Akane no need ta get all creeped out 'cuz of a stupid bug!"

"Well, ex_cuse_ me!"

"Kawaiikune!"

"Baka!"

And so, the Kenshin-gumi woke up to the sound of Ranma and Akane fighting. Again.

After they were able to separate Ranma from Akane, the Kenshin-gumi and co. set out again. This time, being used to it, the going was a lot easier for Akane. After a few days of traveling, they came upon a small town. Tired and weary, the gang took a much-needed rest at the town's inn. Splitting into men and women, the group took a relaxing bath.

"Man!" said Ranma, letting out a breath as he settled into the big furo. "Haven't hiked like that since I was trainin' with Oyaji..."

"You never did tell us much of your travels with your father, Ranma," said Kenshin.

Ranma let out a short, harsh laugh. "I'd hardly call those ten years 'travels'!"

"Oro? What did you and your father do?"

"I doubt you wanna know."

"Try us." Sano had just joined in the conversation.

Ranma sighed. "I doubt this is gonna be good for the kid." He said, looking pointedly at Yahiko.

"HEY!" replied Yahiko. "I ain't no kid! And I've seen a lot of stuff!"

"You ain't got nothin' on my childhood," replied Ranma with a stern glare. "But if ya wanna know… Don't blame me for your nightmares."

And so, the horror stories began. And he was right, they did have _anything_ on Ranma's childhood.

* * *

Over in the girl's side (no perverts allowed)

Akane relaxed in the furo. Three days of traveling had really taken their toll on Akane. She was about to doze off when Kaoru slid in beside her.

"Hope I'm not intruding Akane," said Kaoru.

"Oh," replied Akane. "Not at all."

"Nice isn't it?"

Akane sighed. "Yeah… Nothing like home…"

"Are all the… stories you and Ranma told us true?

Akane giggled. "Well, yeah, but they are kinda hard to believe, ne?"

"I've never heard of such chaos before. Why doesn't someone do something about it?"

Akane laughed. "I doubt even the army could stop all the weird stuff happening! Besides, everyone's used to it now, it's no big deal."

"I see…"

The two girls relaxed until a voice startled them.

"HOTCHA!"

_Oh, not him…_

* * *

Back on the men's side

"And then there was the Neko-ken…"

Ranma was still telling his childhood stories. So far, he had gone through the firstfive years of his life and everyone was already amazed that he hadn't gone insane.

"Neko-ken? Cat fist?" asked Sano. "What kinda dumb name is that?"

"The name may be dumb," replied Ranma with a sad face. "But the technique is unstoppable."

"Unstoppable?" asked Sano. "Teach me man!"

Ranma closed his eyes and shook his head. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and gave such a glare of anger and anguish, that everyone in the room, even Kenshin, gave an involuntary shudder.

"You wanna learn? Try being shoved into a pit of hungry cats with fish sausage strapped around you and no defense at the AGE OF TEN!"

Everyone around stared in shock at Ranma. Even with what they had gone through, none of them had ever heard of such a torture.

"What kind of freak idiot would do that to a mere child?" asked Kenshin, utterly disgusted.

"You wanna know who?" asked Ranma, his eyes blazing with anger. "That pathetic slime ball that calls himself my father! That's who!"

"Your… father?"

"YEAH! THAT GODDA-" Ranma stopped in the middle of his insult, and visibly calmed down. "No…"

"Oro?"

"It's not his fault," Ranma replied, his eyes sad. "He didn't know better. He was just following the training techniques of his master."

"What kind of master would teach such a horrible thing?"

Ranma's eyes became hooded with anger. "Happosai…"

"Hey, you never actually told us what he looked like," said Sano. "He look big or strong or muscular or something?"

Ranma stared. And then laughed. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That's the funniest thing I've ever heard since I came here!"

"Huh? What's so funny about that?"

Ranma was still laughing. "Hahahaha… Happousai is two feet tall and looks like a gnome's great-grandfather."

Suddenly a scream erupted from the girl's side. Followed by an earsplitting cry of "PERVERT!" Ranma's eyes hardened.

"And, if I'm not mistaken, that's him right now…"


	6. Happosai Strikes!

Horse and Sword

A Ranma ½ and Rurouni Kenshin crossover

Disclaimer: I do not, by any means, own Ranma ½ OR Rurouni Kenshin. Would I be writing this if I did?

Chapter 6

Happosai Strikes!

Suddenly a scream erupted from the girl's side. Followed by an earsplitting cry of "PERVERT!" Ranma's eyes hardened.

"And, if I'm not mistaken, that's him right now…"

The men galvanized into action. Putting on some bathrobes, they all scrambled to the girls side… To be hit by flying water buckets.

"PERVERTS!"

The only one who wasn't hit was Ranma, who had splashed himself with cold water right before coming in. Jumping above the salvo of water buckets, she landed and ran to the furo from which she heard the scream. Said furo was occupied by a shocked Kaoru and red-faced Akane.

"What happened?" asked Ranma, looking wildly around for Happosai.

"Happosai!" yelled Akane, pointing to a hallway off to the side. "With others!"

"Others?"

Suddenly, Kaoru snapped out of her shock and turned red with rage. "Why that shriveled little old monkey!"

Ranma was helpless to stop Kaoru as she leaped out of the furo and threw on a bathrobe. She then rocketed toward the direction in which Akane was pointing. Wide-eyed, Ranma immediately took action. Diverting her eyes away from Akane as she rose and put on her own bathrobe, Ranma then sped after Kaoru with her fiancée in tow.

"Dammit," swore Ranma. "She's fast!"

"We're going near the exit of the bath house," said Akane.

"That's probably where they-" Ranma stopped in the middle of her sentence and halted running.

Before them was a huge hole that looked like it had been blasted right in the bath house wall.

"What did this?" asked a bewildered Akane.

"This has got Happosai written all over it!" replies Ranma. "Let's go!"

A voice came down from the hallway. "Wait!"

"Huh?" asked Ranma.

Kenshin, Sano and Yahiko came rushing down the hall. All wearing bathrobes and numerous bruises on them. Out of breath, the trio stopped in front of the hole, trying to catch their breath. Kenshin was the first to speak up.

"Any idea where they went?"

"Well," answered Ranma, pointing at the gaping hole. "Does that count as an idea?"

"Most likely, yes…" said Kenshin after picking his jaw off the floor.

"Then let's go!" shouted Sano, charging forward.

"Follow the bird-brain then," said Ranma, following closely behind him.

"Who you callin' a bird-brain?"

* * *

Trekking through the tunnel, the gang didn't find much except for a few rats, which Akane "Eeep!"ed at. After what seemed like an eternity, they finally found the other end of the tunnel. However, they had just gone into the blinding light of the outdoors when they were set upon by a group of bandits. 

"Ha! Only five of ya?" spouted what seemed to be the leader. "The boss said that this would be hard!"

"Wait," said Kenshin. "You are employed?"

"Hell yeah," retorted the leader. "Youse bunch have got a big bounty on yer puny heads."

"Who are ya workin' for then?" asked Ranma.

"Bah, enough questions," returned the lead bandit. "Makes me head hurt, let's get down to business!"

With that, the group of twenty bandits attacked, brandishing their sword and clubs. Yelling like mad cows in sight of hay, they rushed Kenshin and co. head on. With one swift motion, Kenshin kicked up a screen of sand and dirt, blinding the oncoming bandits.

"Ranma!" shouted Kenshin. "Help me take these fools down! Sano, take Yahiko and Akane and start hammering them from behind!"

"Got it!" said Ranma and Sano.

After giving orders, Kenshin plunged into the thick of the bandit group and commenced to severly pummel them. Unsheathing his sakabato, Kenshin went through the bandits like a demon-possessed whirlwind. A slash took down three whilst another one disabled two more.

While this was going on, Ranma was dishing out her own version of righteous justice. Leaping in with a flying side kick, she took out one bandit. Turning around, she twisted a sword out of another's grasp while elbowing him in the stomach. However, she was then surrounded by five bandits, all carrying nasty looking swords.

"I take it you guys won't back down?" said Ranma with a smirk.

"We don't quit that easily, ya puny GIRL!" spat out one bandit.

"I'm a guy goddammit!" replied Ranma as she knelt down into a sweep kick.

Behind all the fighting, Sano, Yahiko and Akane snuck up behind the bandit leader. Taking out a mallet and using it, Akane quickly silenced him. Sano hefted the leader (along with his swollen head) and silently carried him off. Then Yahiko picked up some rocks and started throwing them at the remaining bandits.

With their leader seemingly gone, the leftover bandits soon gave up hope. Giving themselves in, they were thrown back into the bath house where they were soon picked up by the police.

* * *

"Alright then," said Ranma, dusting her hands. "Now, we just gotta find out where Kaoru went…" 

"Wait," said Kenshin, visibly confused. "You mean you don't know where she is?"

"You didn't notice that she was gone?"

"I thought she was still at the bath house!" Kenshin panicked. "We have to save her!"

However, just before Kenshin took off, Ranma held him back. Straining against Ranma's light but firm grip, Kenshin questioned her.

"What are you trying to do?"

Ranma turned Kenshin around to face her and looked at him sternly.

"Listen Kenshin," she said. "I know Happosai way better than you. He will not harm Kaoru in anyway until he finds some way to get something out of it."

Kenshin visibly relaxed. "Alright, we will take this patiently then…"

"Ok," said Ranma with a voice of authority. "Happosai probably knows we're coming, so we're gonna have to be stealthy. Kenshin and me will go under the cover of night to Happosai's stronghold, which the police have located to be a few kilometers north of here. Then Akane…"


End file.
